COMPARISON OF NERVE CONDUCTION VELOCITY IN TEENAGERS WITH DIFFERENT IQ

• Main Author: S KHOSRAVI
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: Wolters Kluwer Medknow Publications 2002-06-01
• Series: Journal of Research in Medical Sciences
• Subjects: Nerve Conduction Velocity, IQ, Adolescent
• Online Access: http://journals.mui.ac.ir/jrms/article/view/3246

Introduction. Correlation between nerve conduction velocity (NCV) in peripheral and central nervous systems and intelligence has been investigated during recent years with different results. To determine whether there is any correlation between peripheral NCV and IQ, we tested median and ulnar NCV in three groups of teenagers with different IQs.
 Methods. 144 normal subjects aged between 12-17 years were studied in three groups. Group I, with IQ more than 120 (measured with the Wechsler intelligence test), group II, with IQ between 90-110 and group III, with IQ below 70. All three groups matched for age and sex. For each case median and ulnar NCVs were measured in sensory and motor fibers. Mean IQ in study groups were compared using ANOVA.
 Results. Although the range and mean values of NCV in all tested nerves are in normal ranges but there are statistically significant differences between mean NCVs between study groups. In group I (high IQ) mean NCV was higher than groups II and III and mean NCV in group III was less than groups I and II (p<0.05). IQ and NCV were not significantly different in girls and boys (p>0.05).
 Discussion .It is well established that IQ is a multi-factorial parameter and genetic, environment, hormones and individual physical factors such as size and volume of brain could influence intelligence. This study showed statistically difference between IQ and peripheral NCV in adolescents aged 12-17 years. Investigation of correlation between IQ, NCV and other evoked potentials in different age groups is suggested.